Scientists find new use for cells in human
urine Xinhua 14 Dec 2012
Chinese scientists have found a new, innovative way
to use cells found in human urine that could aid in the treatment of a range of
neurodegenerative disorders. The scientists have discovered a new technique for
reprogramming cells shed in human urine into neural progenitor cells (NPCs)
that can grow into multi-functional neuronal subtypes and glial cells. The
technique is expected to be used in the study and treatment of neural disorders
such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative
disorders. Their findings were published online on Dec. 9 in a research report
in the journal Nature Methods, a monthly publication covering novel findings in
life sciences.
Pei Duanqing, a professor at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences' Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, said his research
team has combined an episomal system to deliver reprogramming factors with a
chemically defined culture medium to reprogram kidney epithelial cells
naturally shed in urine into NPCs. These NPCs, normally only found in the human
brain, were later proven to be transgene-free and self-renewing, he said. "These
neurons and glial cells can survive for up to one month when transplanted into
the brain of a newborn rat," said Pei.
He said his team is working hard to understand why
their experimental condition allowed the urine cells to become NPCs so as to
improve the technique and make it more efficient. Scientists have long sought
to treat and study neural disorders by obtaining and transplanting neural stem
cells. However, the previous method of isolating and using cells from either
fetal or adult human tissue remain challenging due to ethical concerns and
immune system rejections, he said. Pei hopes the discovery will be used to
generate NPCs from patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's
disease. "These NPCs from patients may help us discover new drugs for
these diseases."
"It is a remarkable advance in the stem cell
field," said Fred Gage, professor with the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies. They reprogrammed somatic cells with a non-integrating virus and
epithelial-like cells from human urine, a novel, safe and abundant source of
cells, he said. The results and methods derived from this study will be of
great value and significance to the field, he said.
Chinese
scientists have found a new, innovative way to use cells found in human urine
that could aid in the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative disorders. The
scientists have discovered a new technique for reprogramming cells shed in
human urine into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) that can grow into multi-functional
neuronal subtypes and glial cells. The technique is expected to be used in the
study and treatment of neural disorders such as Parkinson's disease,
Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Their findings were
published online on Dec. 9 in a research report in the journal Nature Methods,
a monthly publication covering novel findings in life sciences.
Pei
Duanqing, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Guangzhou Institutes
of Biomedicine and Health, said his research team has combined an episomal
system to deliver reprogramming factors with a chemically defined culture
medium to reprogram kidney epithelial cells naturally shed in urine into NPCs. These
NPCs, normally only found in the human brain, were later proven to be transgene-free
and self-renewing, he said. "These neurons and glial cells can survive for
up to one month when transplanted into the brain of a newborn rat," said
Pei. He said his team is working hard to understand why their experimental
condition allowed the urine cells to become NPCs so as to improve the technique
and make it more efficient.
Scientists
have long sought to treat and study neural disorders by obtaining and
transplanting neural stem cells. However, the previous method of isolating and
using cells from either fetal or adult human tissue remain challenging due to
ethical concerns and immune system rejections, he said. Pei hopes the discovery
will be used to generate NPCs from patients with neurological disorders such as
Parkinson's disease. "These NPCs from patients may help us discover new
drugs for these diseases." "It is a remarkable advance in the stem
cell field," said Fred Gage, professor with the Salk Institute for
Biological Studies.
They
reprogrammed somatic cells with a non-integrating virus and epithelial-like
cells from human urine, a novel, safe and abundant source of cells, he said. The
results and methods derived from this study will be of great value and
significance to the field, he said
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